Circular design

If your medical device requires reprocessing between uses, such as surgical tools which require reprocessing either within the clinical setting or by an external sterile service provider, we help you make considered design choices to ensure it is suitable for this. From material selection to design and testing, we identify ways to delay your product’s end-of-life for as long as possible, while remaining safe and compliant. For devices that can be refurbished at their end-of-life, we help you apply considered design principles to enable this.

While regulations currently do not completely support closed loop circularity, it is important to consider this where possible. We help you explore all potential options for improving the sustainability of your product’s lifecycle. For example, chemically recycled materials are allowed for medical device use, which can offer opportunities for enhanced recyclability.

Where closed loop and reprocessing may not be suitable, the raw materials of your product may still be able to be recycled into (typically) lower-value products. Known as downcycling, this offers a good way to extend the material life of your product before its ultimate disposal. Through material selection and simplifying design choices, we help you build this recyclability into your product to improve its overall lifespan and sustainability.

While energy recovery is not entirely in control of a designer or manufacturer, it is important to consider when selecting your materials as your product’s overall emissions can still be reduced when choosing a bio-based material due to biogenic emissions. As energy recovery from landfill or incineration is becoming more common, this remains an important factor to consider when improving the overall sustainability of your development.